What's in Burns dog food?
Burns was founded by a vet on the idea that a shorter, simpler ingredient list is easier on a dog's digestion than a recipe with many different protein and carbohydrate sources. That founding idea still shapes the range today: most Burns recipes are built around brown rice or oats as the main carbohydrate, paired with one clearly named protein such as chicken, lamb, duck or fish, rather than a long list of meats and grains.
The idea behind the recipes
Burns' recipes lean on hypoallergenic principles — fewer ingredients, a single named protein, and rice or oats rather than a mix of grains — with the reasoning that this is gentler on dogs with sensitive digestion or skin. That does not make every Burns recipe a medical diet, but it explains why the brand is often reached for by owners whose dog has a sensitive stomach or a known intolerance to a specific ingredient.
The range covers most life stages and needs: puppy and junior formulas, adult and senior recipes, weight control options, and a dedicated sensitive range for dogs with known digestive or skin sensitivities.
Choosing across the range
For a healthy adult dog with no known sensitivities, the standard adult or senior chicken and rice recipes are the straightforward starting point. If your dog has a known intolerance to a specific protein, the range includes alternatives built around duck, lamb or fish instead, following the same simple-recipe approach.
For a dog carrying extra weight, the weight control formula uses the same low-ingredient-count approach with a lower calorie density, and for an active working dog, the range also includes a higher-energy recipe built for dogs with genuinely higher activity levels rather than an average pet's daily walk.
Life stages the range covers
Puppies and juniors have their own formula in the range, built around the same simple-ingredient approach but adjusted for growth, and it is worth choosing this over an adult recipe while your dog is still developing rather than moving them onto adult food early. Senior dogs are covered too, generally alongside the standard adult recipe rather than as a wholly separate line, reflecting steadier nutritional needs once a dog is fully grown.
Whichever life stage or recipe you land on, any change from a previous food is best made gradually over a week or so, mixing increasing amounts of the new food in with the old, since even a well-tolerated recipe can cause loose stools if introduced too quickly.
From this brand
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Burns Puppy Junior Original Chicken Rice
A complete puppy and junior food with dried chicken 31% and controlled fat at 15%
From£14.99
Burns Grain Free Puppy Duck Potato
Grain-free duck and potato puppy food with a prebiotic, for starting a new litter on a novel protein
From£16.49
Burns Adult/Senior Dog Original Lamb and Brown Rice
Single-source lamb and brown rice, formulated for adult and senior dogs with sensitivities
£35.99
Burns Senior Chicken Rice
Chicken and brown rice with glucosamine and chondroitin, for senior dogs slowing down
From£14.99
Burns Puppy Original Lamb & Rice
Complete Burns lamb and rice puppy food in a 2KG bag for up to 12 months
£14.99
Burns Puppy/Junior Mini Chicken & Rice
Chicken and rice puppy food with a smaller kibble, made for small and toy breed mouths
£14.99
Burns Sensitive Grain Free Adult Senior Dog Duck Potato
Grain-free duck and potato recipe with a single novel protein, sized for a first trial
From£15.49
Burns Adult/Senior Dog Hypoallergenic Mixer
Hypoallergenic dry mixer for combining with wet food or a home-cooked diet - not a complete food
£13.49
Burns Sensitive Grain Free Adult/Senior Duck & Potato
Grain-free duck and potato recipe with a single novel protein, for sensitive adult and senior dogs
£36.99
Burns Adult/Senior Dog Sensitive Grain Free Turkey & Potato Dry Dog Food
Six-ingredient grain-free dry food for adult and senior dogs, single-source turkey
£15.49
Burns Adult/Senior Sensitive Duck and Brown Rice
Single-source duck and brown rice, for adult and senior dogs with sensitive skin or digestion
£68.99
Burns Adult/Senior Weight Control Chicken and Oats
A low-fat weight control dry food for adult and senior dogs, oat-based
£35.99
Common questions
- Is Burns dog food grain-free?
- No — most Burns recipes are built around brown rice or oats rather than being grain-free. The idea is a simple, easily digestible grain rather than avoiding grain entirely.
- Is Burns good for dogs with sensitive stomachs?
- It is a common choice for exactly that reason, since the recipes use a shorter ingredient list and a single named protein, which can be easier on a sensitive digestive system than a food with many mixed ingredients. Every dog is different, so introduce any new food gradually.
- Does Burns make puppy food?
- Yes, Burns has a dedicated puppy and junior formula in the range, built on the same simple-recipe approach as the rest of the brand's food but adjusted to support a growing dog's needs.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.